Our Representation

The proposition of the Chicago Tribune that the representaron in congress of the state of Nevada be sus' pended because the number of inhabitants is not sufficient to eutitle it to a single ínember of the house, under the present ratio of representaron, is attractinu; a great deal of attention froin the press, especially froui the west, says the Boston Herald. The basis ofcongressional representation in populatioiï in the United States has been changed with every federal census since that of 1800. Under the ilrst apportionment in 1789 it was 30,000. It rose very slowlyjat the outset and it was not until 1823 that it reached 40,000. In 1843 it was 70,680 ; a decade later 93,420. In;i863 it had grown to 127,000 ; in 1873,to 131,426; in 1883, to 151,912 and in 1893 to 173,901, which will stand until the next census. Of course, it is an impossibility to so divide the constituencies that every member of the house ofjrepresentatives shall have in his district exactly 173,901 inhabitants. But congresa, after the figures of each census becoine available, settles upon some number which seems most equitable, taking into consideration the total and thevoting population of each state. It fixes the number of members which each state shall have in the house, but the districting is done by the state legislatures, which, it is hardly necessary to mention,do not always observe perfect equality in división. For instance, the first congressional district of Texas had in 1890 a population of 120,000, while the second had 210,000. The fourth Pennsylvania liad over 209,000 inhabitants, and one district in Ohio up ward of 200,000. One congressman each is elected by Delaware, with 198,493 inhabitauts, Idaho with 84, 385, Montana with 132,159, Nevada with 45,761, and Wyoming with 60,705. But the ratio of representation varies in different states, as will be seen by the appended table : Inhab. to Voters to State. each Rep. each RepAlabama 168,113 36,091 Arkansas _ 188,029 42,978 California 172,500 66,041 Colorado 209,599 82.640 Connecticut 186,585 66,028 Delaware 168,493 47,559 Florida 195,710 48,106 Georgia 167,032 36,193 Idaho 84,385 31,490 Illinois 173,925 47,757 1 ndiana 168.647 45,774 Iowa 173,809 47,303 Kansas 178.387 47,904 Kentucky 168,967 40,981 Loulsiana 186,431 41,761 Maine 165,271 50,310 Maryland 173,732 45,123 Massaehusetts 172,226 51,154 Michigan 174,491 51,457 Minnesota 185,975 53,719 Mississippi 184,228 38,276 Missouri 178,612 47,048 Montana 132,159 65,415 Nebraska 176,485 50,250 Nevada 45 761 20,9ol New Hampshlre 188,265 59,067 New Jersey 180,616 51,691 New York 176,407 52,048 North Carolina 179,772 38,073 North Dakota 182,719 65,959 Ohio 174,872 48,403 Oregon 156,884 55,872 Pennsylvania 175,267 48,729 Rhodé Island 172,753 5u,008 South Carolina 164,449 33,658 Soutti Dakota 164,404 48,382 Tennessee 176,751 40,247 Texas 171,963 41,149 Utah 207,905 54,471 Vermont 166.211 50,848 Virginia 165,598 37,878 Washington 174,695 73,459 West Virginia 190,676 45,350 Wisconsin 168388 46,172 Wyoming 60,705 27,044 The next house of representatives will have, exclusive of territorial delegates, 356 members ; but it will still be smaller than the popular branches of the legislative bodies of Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Hungary. The British house of commons has 670 members, the French chamber of deputies 622, the Italian chamber of deputies 534, the Hungarian house of representatives 445, and the Gerinan reichstag 393.